Engine starting apparatus



July 7, 1936. J. B. DYER I ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 4, 1953ww SNN Patented July 7, 1936 ,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ENGINESTARTING APPARATUS John B. Dyer, Pendleton, Ind., assignor, by mesneassignments, to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., acorporation of Delaware Application August 4, 1933, seran No. 683,581

.5 Claims. (Cl. 12S-179) This invention relates to engine startercontrol devices for automotive vehicles and, more particularly, todevices which are adapted to be operated by another controller of thevehicle such as l5y the fuel valve controller or accelerator pedal.

It is amongthe objects of the present invention to provide a unitarystructure adapted to be mounted upon a vehicle and to be connected withmeans forcontrolling a part of the vehicle, and

l including an electric switch for controlling a starting motor wherebythe vehicle controlling means may be operated to render the startingmotor operative to start the engine. In order that the switch will notbe closed by the vehicle controlling means while the engine is running,the structure is provided with means responsive to engine'operation fordisconnecting from the vehicle controlling vmeans a switch actuatornormally connected therewith.

Furtherobjects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing wherein a preferred embodiment of one form of the presentinvention is 25 clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred form of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2.

35 Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

20 designates a frame comprising two U-shaped parts 20a and 20h joinedat their yokes by rivets 20c. The part 20a, has an arm 2| provided with40 apertures 22 for receiving screws or the like for attaching thedevice to some part of the automobile; and is provided with an arm 23 towhich a switch case 24 is attached by screws 25 cooperating with nuts26. The switch case 24 insulatingly supports stationary contacts 21provided by the heads of terminal screws 28 extending to the exterior ofthe case 24 and separated by an insulating part 29. The stationarycontacts 21 are engageable by a movable contact 30 insulatinglysupported by a. plunger 3| slidably guided by bushing 32 attached to thearm 23 of the part 20a. A spring 33 normally maintains the`contact 30out of engagement with the contacts 21.

Referring to Fig. 2, the frame part 2Gb has an arm 40 which supports astationary shaft or stud 4| upon which are coaxially mounted a bellcrank lever 42 and a switch operating lever 43, the latter carrying alug 44 locatable in the path of movement oi the switch operating plunger3|. The lever 43 isprovided witha tubular hub 45 which is slidablealongthe stud shaft 4| in response to movementsv of a diaphragm 46 swivellyattached to the hub 45 by' a 'rivet 41. The diaphragm 46 forms one wallof a suction chamber 50 provided between the diaphragm 46 and a stampedmetal cup 5| Yassociated with a second metal cup 52 which constitutes'asupport for the suction chamber 56, the cup 52 being attached to an arm53 of the frame part 20h by screw 54 and nut 55. The diaphragm 4S isurged normally toward the right as viewed in Fig. 3 by a spring56located between a washer 51 associated with the diaphragm 46 and acoupling 5S threadedly eng'aging'abushing 53 attached to the cup 5|. Thecoupling 58 serves to connect the chamber with a pipe (not shown) forconnecting the device with the intake manifold of the engine.

Normally the hub 45 is urged into position shown in Fig. 3 by the spring56. In this position the lever 43 is so located with respect to thelever 42 that lugs 62 of the lever 42 are received within notches 63 ofthe lever 43. Therefore, when the lever 42 is actuated in acounterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, the lever 43 will beactuated in this direction and the lug 44 will be caused to engage theplunger 3| of the switch in order to move the contact into engagementwith the contacts 21, thereby closing the switch.

This device is adapted to be installed in automobiles in such a way thatthe lever 42 provides a connecting link in a mechanism between theaccelerator pedal and the fuel valve of the engine. The switch referredto is used to control the starting motor. Therefore, when the operatormoves the accelerator pedal, the engine will be started. When the enginebecomes self-operative the suction produced in its intake manifold willbe suincient to cause the diaphragm 46 to be moved toward the leftsufficiently to withdraw the lever 43 from engagement by the lugs 62 oflever 42. Thereupon the lever 43 will be free to rotate clockwise to itsnormal position thereby permitting the starting motor switch to beopened by the spring 33. The starting motor switch cannot be closedagain while the engine is running due to the fact that when the lugs 62are in alignment with notches 63, the engine throttle will be nearlyclosed and the intake suction of the engine, when idling, will besufficient to withhold the lever 43 from the lever 42. In case theengine throttle is open wider and the intake suction decreasessufficiently to permit the spring 56 to move the lever 43 against thelever 42, the ends of the lugs 62 of lever 42 will be engaged by theportions 65 of the lever 43 but the notches 63 thereof will be locatedout of alignment with lugs 62.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as hereindisclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood thatother forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claimswhich follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. Apparatus for controlling the engine starting motor for an automotivevehicle comprising, in combination, a switch for controlling the motorand having an actuator, coaxially pivoted levers one for directlyoperating the switch actuator and the other for connection with anothercontroller of the vehicle, interengageable members for connecting saidlevers for simultaneous operation thereof, means for moving one of saidlevers relative to the other to cause said members to engage, and meansresponsive to engine operation for moving said one lever relative tosaid other lever to disengage said members for disconnecting saidcoaxially pivoted levers.

2. Apparatus for controlling the engine starting motor of an automotivevehicle comprising, in combination, a switch for controlling the motorand having an actuator, coaxially pivoted levers one for directlyoperating the switch actuator and the other for connection with anothercontroller of the vehicle, means normally connecting the levers so thatthe latter operates the former, and means responsive to engine operationfor axially moving one of the levers in order to disconnect one from theother.

3. Apparatus for controlling the engine startgage, and means responsiveto engine suction for l0 moving said one lever relative to said otherlever to disengage said members for disconnecting said coaxially pivotedlevers.

4. Apparatus for controlling the engine starting motor for an automotivevehicle comprising, l5

in combination, a switch for controlling the motor` and having anactuator, coaxially pivoted levers one for directly operating the switchactuator and the other for connection with another controller of thevehicle, means normally connecting the 20 levers so that the latteroperates the former, and means responsive to engine suction for axiallymoving one of the levers in order to disconnect one from the other.

5. Apparatus for controlling the engine starting motor of an automotivevehicle comprising, in combination, a switch for controlling the motorand having an actuator, a stud shaft, a lever pivoted upon said shaftand directly engageable with 30 the switch actuator, a second leverpivoted upon said shaft and connectible with another controller of theVehicle, a lug provided by one of the levers and normally received by arecess of the other lever, a spring normally maintaining the levers inoperative relation, and means responsive to engine suction forseparating the levers and including a diaphragm swivelly connected withthe first lever.

JOHN B. DYER.

